1. Why the nuclear industry is not good for our people David Fig Presentation to Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environment and Tourism 20 June 2007

2. Why the nuclear industry is not good for our people Our economy Our jobs Our young democracy Our environment and health

3. Our people We need energy for all We need to honour our commitment to a clean & healthy environment (s24) We need to safeguard our climate against dramatic change

4. Our economy Government is devoting R400 billion over the next few years to install an extra 20 000 MWe nuclear energy Pebble Bed alone will take up R14,9 billion just for getting the demo model up and running & making the pebbles The vast majority of this is PUBLIC MONEY

5. Our economy WHAT COULD WE DO BETTER WITH R400 BILLION? Paying our public service Investing in cleaner energy, energy saving, and decent public transport

6. Our economy Why are we selling off our energy so cheaply to foreign companies to smelt their aluminium? All the raw material is imported Limited jobs High energy consumption (= Mandela Metropole) Pollution problems

7. Our economy R400 billion coming out of the public purse can be better spent on cleaner electricity will set off higher electricity prices for our people will cause debt problems to our economy

8. Our economy World Business Academy says: ‘Nuclear power has failed to meet its potential in the marketplace’ Wall St regards it as ‘too high risk’ Business Week says it has a history of construction delays, cost overruns, and bankruptcies Forbes magazine calls it ‘the largest managerial disaster in business history’

9. Our jobs Nuclear industry offers a few high-end jobs and a few manual jobs We don’t have enough reactor operators – we will be importing highly skilled workers Renewable energy if implemented on the same scale could provide tens of thousands of local jobs in communities to install, manage & repair solar or wind facilities Jobs in nuclear place our workers at risk

10. Our democracy Civil society has until today had no forum for raising its views This technology has been approved by a few ministers It is unclear why they privilege this industry when there are clear alternatives

11. Our democracy Our constitution promotes a culture of openness and transparency in governance Yet everything to do with the nuclear industry and the policy making around nuclear operates in secrecy and without transparency 1998 Energy White paper not observed - it had provided for an integrated energy policy PRIOR to any extension of nuclear facilities, as well as public participation in decisions

12. Our democracy The public cannot get access to minutes of Eskom’s or NNR’s board minutes We are not allowed to know what Alcan is going to pay for its electricity The state recently tried to keep a trial in camera of illegal nuclear traffickers

13. Our democracy The nuclear industry is forced by its nature to surround itself by high security Cause us to go for stronger security laws and reawaken SA as a “security state” as under apartheid Enrichment – supported by Min Sonjica – leaves us open to future proliferation of nuclear weapons

14. Our environment The problems include Potential threat of spillages increase Huge waste management problems Workers face health risk in dealing with nuclear materials Risk of land, crop and water contamination after a nuclear leakage

16. Our environment Problems (continued): Our regulatory system is under stress Need to expose the lie that nuclear energy is free of carbon emissions. If one takes the whole chain of production there is a considerable CO 2 footprint

17. Nuclear fuel chain

18. Conclusion These issues are too large to be rushed through We need fiscal vigilance over the R400 billion – who stands to benefit? The industry is putting all of us at risk The legislature did not place the precautionary principle in NEMA for nothing. Let us honour its farsightedness by honouring this principle. Let us take forward the debate!